Middle school staff using 'triple-layered' approach to help students

By Iva Kay Horner Publisher/Editor

Posted:
02/26/2013 01:01:49 PM MST

Updated:
02/26/2013 01:03:04 PM MST

When it comes to developing data at Brush Middle School (BMS), Principal Sherry Kyle said staff are "building the plane as we fly it."That's how Kyle described her building's mid-year progress report to members of the Brush Board of Education last week.In her report, Kyle explained the three-pronged process in developing Response to Intervention (RtI) and Positive Behavior In School (PBIS) systems that included "where we were, where we are and where we want to be".Accomplishments that have been made are clearly defining the RtI process, initiating a systematic way to use the data, as well as staffing to support the intervention.As to where they are in the process, building staff have been able to place 78 students in the RtI process, are using data to drive decision making, are progress monitoring using AIMSweb and NWEA data, as well as have added two full-time employees to the staff. One, she explained, serves in the area of special education, while the other is an intervention/Extended Learning Teacher (ELT).This part of the process also involves composing a flow chart that staff will be able to use throughout this three-tiered process, she added."Our overall goal is to have a triple layered approach," she noted.The first tier of the future involves teaching holding meetings during collaboration time to identify students with needs and develop effective general instruction, with the second tier to support general instruction with a focus on ELT.

Advertisement

The third tier is to target small group intervention, Kyle stated.Adding to Kyle's report were several staff members including sixth grade teachers Lori Pruett and Wendy Humburg."It takes a village," Pruett, who serves as a resource teacher for the sixth and eighth grade, told the board. "We have a village doing this RtI process…it's a large process that gives us a large amount of data."Pruett told the BOE that her students are working on basic skills including organizational skills for math intervention. "We are helping these students break down the pieces."Humburg's students have been working in the computer lab on a project that informs parents what they have been working on throughout the week. "It lets parents see what's going on in class," she noted. Her students also use the Infinite Campus website to check grades which, she said, "helps them recognize missing assignments and where they need work…it supports all the cores around them…they work on critical and thinking skills."Seventh grade special education teacher Tawny Talkington told the board she is working to implement strategies and programs by working closely with other seventh grade teachers.With 10 in her class, Talkington explained she is working on the same things as the ELT teachers, but working with more specific strategies to help with fluency.She also has working with the Kahn Academy math intervention program, as well as continues to work on reading comprehension and fluency. "We are doing specific reading strategies," she stated. By using strategies, she said, "It's been really really interesting with the special education kids because we've gotten to see where their holes are."Eighth grade students in Tiffany Lefler's ELT class continue to build on their math skills by working Sudoku puzzles each week. "It helps build that number sense in a different way," she told the board. She also has created an 'effort rubric' which has been given to all of her classes. "Because of the rubric, there has been a big correlation in their growth," she commented, adding that she tries to do one or two small group activities in her classroom each week.Because of the group's efforts and ingenuity, Kyle reported that reading comprehension from the fall to winter benchmark saw 76 percent of sixth graders increase or reach their winter benchmark. Similar successes also were realized in math computation, she added, as well as in the area of writing.Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Brian Clason reported on data collected using the SWIS and PBIS systems, explaining that as of the meeting, a total of 126 minor referrals have been written this school year. Last year, he said, the building had 519 minor referrals that were written by staff. "If all goes well, we should not hit 200 minor referrals this year," he told the board. "It's an obvious decrease.""The staff really are hitting hard and holding kids accountable in the classroom," he continued, adding that he advocates "empowering teachers to keep the authority in the classroom and help students make better choices."As of the meeting, the assistant principal reported that 46 major referrals had been written, however, he was not able to track major referrals for the previous school year.Of the major referrals, 11 were for disobedience/defiance; 26 were issued for detrimental behavior; three were other codes of violations; four were for drugs and one was a dangerous weapon violation.In a month-by-month analysis, Clason said that 14 referrals were given in September; 13 in October; 11 in November; one in December, three in January and a total of four in February. "We have seen a decrease since the beginning of the year," he commented.Clason also provided information on the Celebration and Data Wall which is utilized for "kids that are showing exemplary work and what it looks like". According to the assistant principal, kids are moving up on the Shining Stars portion of the wall.Because unexcused tardies are an issue at BMS, staff are tying effort into achievement into attendance at their staff meetings, with Clason explaining the sixth and eighth grades are in the running to receive a movie day at the Sands Theater for making the achievement. "We are making a strong push to recognize kids when we see then doing positive things," he added.As to where BMS staff want to go, Kyle reiterated the district's mission statement of, "To be the premier school district in Colorado, ensuring that each student has solid roots and agile wings to attain any dream…that is obviously our ultimate goal as a building and a district."How they get there, she said, is to continue to refine the RtI process, create more pathways to expand opportunities for intervention through remedial and Gifted/Talented, as well as continue to strengthen building culture.Future discussions for the building including considering a master schedule for next year that includes a building-wide intervention period, continuing to create small instructional groups based on student need, as well as continuing to use data to drive instructional decisions.The next meeting of the Brush Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, March 5 at the district office and will begin at 6 p.m.